In ultrasound imaging, an operator of a system uses a probe to obtain ultrasound images of a patient. The images captured by the system may be viewed, printed or included in a patient report for diagnosis and record keeping. In addition, select images may be included in a report that is used to bill the patient or their insurance for the services rendered.
Depending on the examination procedure being performed, the number and subject of the images required in a report of the examination may be standardized or defined. For example, an internal exploratory scan may require that images of the patient's liver, bladder, intestines, kidneys and stomach be obtained. Similarly, a pre-natal scan may require images and measurements of various anatomic structures of a fetus. In a typical single operator examination, a physician or an ultrasound technician uses the imaging system to obtain all the images needed to complete the examination. These images are typically selected by the user during the exam, stored in a buffer memory and must be reviewed after the examination is complete to mark or otherwise identify images to be used in creating a record of the scan. In the case of a procedure, such as an ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia injection, where the care provider cannot stop mid procedure or has no free hands to control the system, a second person may assist in controlling the system settings and collecting the needed images during the procedure.